Colorado Geothermal Land & Geothermal Resource Access(3-CO)

In order to develop geothermal resources on state land in Colorado, developers must gain legal access to the land by obtaining a lease and, any required rights-of-way (ROW) easements over state lands, including any necessary permits to encroach on existing state ROWs.

The Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners also known at the Colorado State Land Board (CSLB) is responsible for the management and administration of geothermal resources contained in state land and is actively pursuing geothermal development on state trust land.

Geothermal Lease

Developers must submit a complete Geothermal Lease Application to the CSLB. The CSLB has authority to award geothermal leases through negotiation or by competitive bidding, but must allow for a thirty five day public notice period prior to issuance. CRS 37-90.5-105(1). However, projects on locally managed land (e.g. by a municipality) or land managed by other state agencies require a geothermal lease-type agreements with the applicable local entity or other state agency.